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In their new book, John Pucher and Ralph Buehler come right out and state their belief in plain English: "Cycling should be made feasible, convenient, and safe for everyone." The editors of City Cycling, just published by MIT Press, aim to further that cause by gathering together as much data as they could find to support their case that "it is hard to beat cycling when it comes to environmental, economic, and social sustainability." This is not a book of impassioned arguments or heartfelt polemics. Pucher and Buehler are academics, the former at Rutgers University and the latter at Virginia Tech. The 19 contributors to the book are also academics. Each chapter is followed by multiple pages of references and citations, and the entire book underwent peer review. City Cycling is unabashedly pro-bike, but its authors aren't relying on gut feeling. This is all about the numbers. Cycling advocates pushing for better bicycling infrastructure on streets around the world are accustomed to meeting with skeptical audiences. They will find a lot of ammunition here, much of it gleaned from studies of nations such as Germany and the Netherlands, where cycling is a routine part of daily life. Divided into chapters on subjects such as health benefits, safety, bikesharing systems around the world, cycling for women, and cycling for kids, the book marshals an impressive and fascinating assortment of facts, figures, trends, charts, and diagrams.

"A Sober, Data-Based Approach to Bicycle Advocacy"

"A tool that allows anyone to easily collect and share automobile and bicycle traffic count data."

Leerone Nesmith said he sometimes finds sharing the road to be a bit of a squeeze. Nesmith, 66, of Erie, rides his bicycle every day, weather permitting, and said he is occasionally overtaken by motor vehicles that come too close to him when they pass. "It can be a little nerve-racking. You have to keep watching traffic real close," he said. Changes to Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code that took effect a year ago require motorists to stay at least 4 feet from bicyclists when passing them on the road. Nesmith said he's familiar with the new law but doesn't believe everyone is aware of the changes. "Some come pretty close to you," said Nesmith, who has never been in an accident while riding his bike. The education continues as the Erie region heads into a new bike-riding season. Sgt. Jeff Annunziata, a traffic investigator with the Erie Bureau of Police, said he first heard of the law change from a citizen and learned more about it later during police updates. Annunziata said he's not sure the newly designated passing "buffer" will help much in cutting down accidents involving bicycles and other vehicles. The biggest problems Annunziata says he sees are motorists not paying attention to bicyclists, and bicyclists not paying attention to other traffic and not knowing the rules of the road. "The avid bike riders absolutely know the rules, but others don't," he said. "Probably 90 percent of the accidents involving bikes in the city are probably caused by bike riders not paying attention." The bulk of the attention given to the vehicle code changes adopted under Act 3 of 2012, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in February 2012, centered on the distance vehicles must stay from bicyclists when passing. It's the greatest distance established by any of the 25 states that have specific distance requirements in their traffic laws. Two states have distance requirements of at least 2 feet, while 22 require a distance of at least 3 feet, according to data compiled by the League of Am

The United States saw a nearly 62 percent increase in bicycle commuting between 2000 and 2013. But when it comes to reporting crashes between bikes and motor vehicles, police departments around the country are still using incident forms designed for an earlier era.

As these areas continue to gain strength, several new sectors are beginning to emerge on the shores of Lake Erie. The region's workforce and available fresh water are generating significant interest in the craft brewing, food processing, alternative energy and data center industries.

Since the recession, the meatpacking district, between Ninth Avenue and the Hudson River, and the flatiron district near Broadway have seen the biggest upticks in rents and greatest decreases in availability rates, based on the firm's analysis of data by CoStar Group Inc. Those areas have also experienced upgrades to streets, including new bike lanes and expanded pedestrian spaces.

Abstract: Pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails, can all be used for transportation, recreation, and fitness. These types of infrastructure have been shown to create many benefits for their users as well as the rest of the community. Some of these benefits are economic, such as increased revenues and jobs for local businesses, and some are non-economic benefits such as reduced congestion, better air quality, safer travel routes, and improved health outcomes. While other studies have examined the economic and non-economic impacts of the use of walking and cycling infrastructure, few have analyzed the employment that results from the design and construction of these projects. In this study we estimate the employment impacts of building and refurbishing transportation infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians. We analyze various transportation projects and use state-specific data to estimate the number of jobs created within each state where the project is located.

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In 2012, 4,743 pedestrians and 726 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts). Here are more facts and figues on pedestrian and bicycle crashes: Click here to jump to Bicycle Crash figures In 2012, 4,743 people were killed in pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes, more than 12 people every day of the year ( NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).